National Museum of the U.S. Navy

The Aleutian Islands campaign was a tri-nation military operation involving the United States, Canada, and Japan in the Aleutian Islands, (part of the Territory of Alaska), during World War II. The campaign lasted from June 3, 1942 to August 15, 1943.  Historian, James Rentfrow, PhD, presents an overview on the strategic importance of the campaign to the war effort and the consequences to the indigenous population.

About the Speaker:  A 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, James C. “Chris” Rentfrow spent 19 years as an operational Naval Flight Officer before transferring to the Permanent Military Professor community in 2008.  He earned his Ph.D. in United States History from the University of Maryland at College Park in 2012, and subsequently served as Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy until his statutory retirement after 30 years of service.  In December of 2019, Dr. Rentfrow joined the Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, DC as Director of the National Museum of the U.S. Navy and the NMUSN Campus Program Office.   He now serves as the Director of the Naval Museums Division of Naval History and Heritage Command.